TutorMe Blog

What Does the ACT Stand For?

It’s that time of year! As we all know preparing for college entrance exams can be confusing area. Here I hope to introduce you to a rapidly growing standardized test by starting with the definition. For more information on TutorMe, check out our original ACT Preparation Course – the most effective way to study for the test.

What is the ACT?

The ACT for many years had always lived in the shadow of the SAT. This all changed recently when the ACT overtook the SAT as the most popular college admission standardized test in the United States. Now that the test is quantitatively more popular, lets dig into what it stands for, and why this matters.

Acronym or Initialism?

ACT is technically an “initialism” because it is pronounced with each individual letter as opposed to a pronunciation as a singular word. For example DVD and FBI are both initialisms because each individual letter is pronounced. Alternatively, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or LASER (light amplification by stimulated emission or radiation) are acronyms because they are pronounced as a singular word.

So… what does ACT actually stand for?

The ACT stands for “American College Test”. It’s is a standardized test that determines a high school graduate’s preparedness for college. It covers five areas: Math, English, Reading, Writing and Science. It is important to note that the ACT is not an IQ (intelligence) test and therefore practice, preparation, and hard work can increase one’s score. For more information, check out the ACT's Website.

Why does it matter?

Good question. The ACT is now accepted by almost every college in America, meaning a high score can help you get into the school of your dreams. The ACT is considered an easier test to study for than the SAT, so check out the TutorMe ACT Course and get started now.

Now that we’ve covered what the ACT stands for, check out our other posts for more in depth strategy on the Math, Reading, Science, and English tests.